And, if women’s advancement to date has been accepted bymen, might conflict loom as calls for next steps — boardroom quotas ormandatory paternity leave — grow louder?

However, companies often grant male employees longer terms, as they quite often get much shorter statutory paternity leave.

"Many men no longer want to be identified just by their jobs," said Bengt Westerberg, who long opposed quotas but as deputy prime minister phased in a first month of paternity leave in 1995.